Okkervil River Artistfacts

1998-
Will SheffVocals, guitar
Patrick PestoriusBass2005-2016
Justin SherburnKeyboards2007-2016
Lauren GurgioloVocals, guitars, mandolin2008-2014
Cully SymingtonDrums2011-
Michael St. ClairTrumpet, violin, keyboards2011-2016
Will GraefeGuitar2016-
Benjamin Lazar DavisBass2016-
Sarah PedinottiKeyboards2016-
Okkervil River lead singer Will Sheff has a knack for writing songs on airplanes. "Rider," from the band's I Am Very Far album, was written while Sheff was trying for 4 or 5 hours to sleep on a plane. "I Guess We Lost" also popped into Sheff's head while he was on an airplane.
Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff likes reading Grimm Brothers stories. Sheff told Drowned in Sound that after reading a giant collection of their fairy tales, he realized that he only actually knew about 5% of all of the fables they had written.
Will Sheff admits that he is "interested in pornography." In an interview with Pitchfork, Sheff explained that pornography is "the simplest art form there is" and that there is "so much meaning that floats around it." Okkervil River's song "Savannah Smiles" is even about an adult film star named Savannah who commits suicide after she is horribly disfigured in a car accident.
Will Sheff isn't a fan of his own singing on the band's early albums. He says that no matter what, he sings he "sounds like he's sad." Sheff says he originally intended for everyone in Okkervil River to write and sing their songs, but he quickly realized that he needed to sing his own songs himself or nobody around him would care about what he was doing.
While recording Okkervil River's breakthrough 2005 album Black Sheep Boy, singer Will Sheff was still working a regular job at a video store. Sheff would record all day long and then go in for a night shift. He had to work every single day because the video store didn't pay him very much.
When Okkervil River first recorded the song "John Allyn Smith Sails," their producer hated it and didn't want to put it on their record. He almost convinced singer Will Sheff to leave it off but Sheff decided to just put it out anyway. "John Allyn Smith Sails" turned out to be a fan favorite.
Okkervil River lead singer Will Sheff says if there's anything he could change about himself, he'd be more extroverted. Sheff says he's outgoing onstage but shy and introverted offstage. He also thinks his shyness makes people think that he's weird when he's not.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

Do You Realize??The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips' "Do You Realize??" was named in March 2009 the official Rock Song of Oklahoma. Four years later, Oklahoma's governor Mary Fallin pulled the tune as the state's official rock song in a move her office said had more to do with priorities than musical taste.

I Got You BabeSonny & Cher

"I Got You Babe" made Sonny Bono the only person to perform on a #1 hit and also get elected to congress.

Do The BartmanThe Simpsons

"Do The Bartman," released at the peak of Simpsons-mania, has uncredited backup vocals by Michael Jackson, who later appeared on the show.

I'll Be Missing YouPuff Daddy

Puff Daddy didn't get permission to sample the Police song "Every Breath You Take" on his Notorious B.I.G. tribute "I'll Be Missing You," but he later reached an agreement and even performed the song with Sting.

Stuck In The Middle With YouStealers Wheel

"Stuck In The Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel was the unlikely choice for a scene in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 movie Reservoir Dogs where somebody loses an ear.

Ebony and IvoryPaul McCartney

Paul McCartney wrote "Ebony and Ivory," his duet with Stevie Wonder, after a tiff with his wife Linda. "It was like, 'Why can't we get it together- our piano can,'" he explained.

Editor's Picks

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."